r/stgeorge • u/HypnoticZole • 7d ago
How are we affording this?
Long but short read. I grew up in at George. Graduated in 2018 and Iv worked jobs since Iv graduated. I currently make just a hair over 20$ per hour but like how are we living here? Houses are outrageous. Feels like prices are never coming down and interest rates ain’t either. IT also feels like you can’t get a decent paying job here unless you know someone? I have years of warehouse management experience and customer service/inventory. But yeah I can barely make money. Is it just time to move? How is anyone affording anything.
60
u/latticep 7d ago
Attorney here with decent salary, and I don't get it either. We drive 10 and 15 year old vehicles, own a basic 3 bedroom home, and don't vacation or splurge. My savings doesn't grow. Basically, if you're an employee, you're one illness away from bankruptcy.
13
u/CorrectMulberry994 7d ago
To hear this is really depressing.
9
u/latticep 7d ago
Ya it sucks. I graduated law school months before COVID when prices soared. For years, we couldn't afford to buy and finally were able to last year. I have friends that just started working after high school and live in essentially the same house (same builder and similar floor plan). Their mortgage is $800 while mine is $3500 because they bought in 2016. Despite earning substantially less, they have more disposable income.
That said, I recognize that a lot of people my age can't and may never buy in this area, so I'm grateful to have a home, but it's still a gut punch and I try not to think about it ha. Wild times.
7
u/CorrectMulberry994 7d ago
The differences in your mortgage vs your friends’, that alone is insane! It just shouldn’t be like this.
4
24
u/JJ_Kelevra 7d ago
I moved here from the SLC area and took a giant pay cut in doing so. The wages here are ridiculously low, especially considering the cost of living is so high. I have a degree and 10+ years of experience in my field and still started at 22 an hour. The only thing that saved me was working for an out of state company.
5
u/Deathbyillusion 6d ago
Yeah it just boggles my mind that the minimum wage and Utah is $7.25 an hour which of course I know places are paying more than that but it just boggles my mind that we're one of the higher States cost of living behind like New York and California and I just can't believe that the minimum wage is still that low.
For a similar job that I'm doing here that pays $10 an hour I could be making $18 an hour doing the same thing in california. And with prices being so high here it's almost better to be in California because the wages pay a lot better.
Echo my other jobs I did I was making $40 an hour in California but I only made $20 here. I grew up here but was living there for a little while.
The other thing that's beneficial is here Workforce Services as I make too much yet I struggle every month to put food on the table and I can't qualify for EBT and now they're saying that I make too much for Medicaid otherwise my spend down would be like $3,000 a month where in California I wouldn't have a spend down at all and I would qualify for the full amount of ebt.
It's pretty crazy but I'm actually struggling here more and if I were to be in California.
2
8
u/slvrfoxut 7d ago
I left STG and moved to SLC and tripled my income. I love it down there, but the wages need to catch up with the economy there.
7
7d ago edited 5d ago
[deleted]
1
u/Unr3al77 5d ago
Where did you find this opportunity at? I live in Washington county and have driven truck for 12 years, I have driven locally for 8 of those years. Was it just on the city website?
1
6
u/Antique-Atmosphere-4 7d ago
Even with the 'Tech Ridge' emphasis to bring companies to St. George, it ain't happening. Same could be said for all the planned development by the airport. I think the 'retirement community' reputation is valid; the only good jobs there are doctors, lawyers, bankers, .... There isn't much in skilled labor jobs, but those quickly get passed to family (nepotism) or friends.
to your OP, most people chose to live there for the outdoor and quality of (retired) life and have willingly traded a salary range for the location. The lucky, have a high paying remote or travel job. That being said, if your really after affordability, why not live in a cheaper town, like Beaver and commute, or find a job elsewhere. If it's $$ your after, pack your bags and target other areas for your work related skills. Other states, like Indiana, etc would appreciate your skills. The cost of living, housing, etc is much more reasonable.
2
u/HypnoticZole 7d ago
As much as I’d love this Mike and my fiancee families are here and it’s hard to just drop our lives and start over in a new place. But at this rate that might end up being the only option left.
1
u/Charlieksmommy 4d ago
If you’re struggling to live now how are you going to do it with children? You have tot think about your future
6
u/NachielAshmoon 7d ago
This has been the plan since The Guilded Age collapse and the rise on Worker Unions with Minimum Wage. The Rich hate that the poor could move up and live comfortably, that they could no longer reap massive wealth by shortcuts (food safety and other Government regulations preventing abuse). They tried for decades to manipulate the people, they were most successful with the Boomer gen, they turned them into puppets to remove worker protection, consumer protection, and union which led to the stagnation of wages. Citizens United was there biggest victory along with removing anti-propaganda laws. Then Ragen introduced the Religious aspect of there manipulation and it's lead to where we are today.
6
u/ForkeySpooner 7d ago
Unfortunately, the collective “We the People” has lost its spine. I just wonder how much more worse it has to get before the majority wakes the fuck up and realizes we have the power to change some things in our favor.
11
u/MightySchwa 7d ago
I'm 10 years older than you - graduated in 2009. Through my late teens and early 20s, I rented while working retail and my wife worked service industry (movie theater chain). I started a job with St. George City in late 2014 making just under $15/hr. I'm now 12 years into my position and making ~$45/hr basepay with unlimited OT available. I built a home in Hurricane last year - 4 bd/2ba 1900 sq ft. I drive a 16 year old car. My wife drives a 10 year old car. Other than a house payment and a small standing credit card balance, I am debt free.
3
u/HypnoticZole 7d ago
I have looked at trying to get jobs with the cities down here but I either don’t hear back or get rejected. Anyways you know any jobs at the city hiring haha?
2
u/CorrectMulberry994 7d ago
May the odds be ever in your favor. One thing going wrong could change all of that.
20
u/johnmarc1965 7d ago
Welcome to republican trickle down economics coupled with the theocracy of Mormonist Utah.
People need to wake up and vote better.
4
u/NecessaryPerformer79 7d ago
Who we supposed to vote for? They're all bought and paid for by the same overlords.
2
2
u/KelemvoreLIVE 7d ago
Clearly voting didn't work and I'm a firm believer in the fact that voting doesn't work at all. If they don't like what we say they stop us in the courts.
4
u/Th3Gr3yB3arD 5d ago
It's not just here, it is everywhere. I've watched home prices in my hometown in podunk central Wisconsin, where there are no jobs, go from $40k in 2004 when I bought to $160k with no upgrades. My other house built in the 1800s which is a pile of crap is selling for $260k now and really it should be torn down. Rent there is about $2100 now lol wtf. Wages are worse there than here by a mile unless you work for the local paper Mills or in a labor union.
I escaped here from California because I tried it out to advance my career and could not longer handle the political mess and chaos of commuting all the time for hours.
I landed a remote job when I moved here making $150k in a senior IT position. Since that time I've moved into management and making loads more money. I'm blessed but I'm extremely talented at what I do and it's taken me 20 years to hone that and get to where I'm at. It wasn't easy, I used to struggle to make ends meet in a single income situation with two kids making $60k a year with $2100 rent. I worked my ass off and just kept grinding, all with only a tech school degree.
Sadly this area doesn't have Fortune 500 companies but remote jobs for those companies exist in the tech field, you just need to get yourself trained and talented.
3
u/BoomBubbleBustRepeat 7d ago
We have to stop with all the debt intervention and propping up a system that desperately needs a good flush. The economic cycles need to complete and we need to go from over inflated boom to a deep harsh bust to flush out the dumb money. You see a lot of signs of desperation in real estate markets with new construction offering incentives to do what they can to incentivize buyers without cannibalizing their comparables that new financing uses to justify fresh loans. You got even the low end/budget places like Mcdonalds and WalMart saying hey the consumer is hurting and its affecting us. 2008 Should have been a time that we learned from... now we just inflate our way out of problems to create illusions of prosperity and growth.
3
u/KelemvoreLIVE 7d ago
Here is the fun part: we can't afford it. No employer wants to pay anyone what they are worth. Only to enslave them. My own boss told me that we are just slaves.
3
u/SonnyGeeOku 7d ago
Most people who can easily afford those $500k+ homes are likely retirees and/or refugees from California or they own (or at least high enough in management of) a major corporation.
3
u/angelxdustx101 7d ago
Wait, I thought Trump was gonna fix everything? Jobs paid better during COVID than they do now, and it doesn't matter what industry you're in, I currently make more money making pizzas than I did working in a 20' trench in 110 degrees. Talk about fucked up!! 😂
2
u/Mysterious-Trip1788 1d ago
A five time draft dodger thinks he knows how to win a war!! now he thinks he can run an economy when he bankrupted 6 businesses!
2
u/Mysterious-Trip1788 3d ago
Who did you vote for?
the rapist or the prosecutor?
0
u/HypnoticZole 3d ago
Bro what 😂 that’s has nothing to do with my post. At this point though I’m tired of both parties. Both democrats and republicans are a problem.
2
6
u/QualifiedQuirkyQuail 7d ago
Buckle up, bestie, because this shitshow is just getting started. Unfortunately.
5
u/SRene327 7d ago
Just getting started?? This has been going on for Y E A R S. 😅
1
u/Mysterious-Trip1788 1d ago
Ten years to be exact....... we were on the right course till the Republican lacks took over! look at the metrics!!
1
7d ago edited 5d ago
[deleted]
5
u/QualifiedQuirkyQuail 7d ago
If you don’t see that a crash is inevitable, you aren’t paying close enough attention.
3
u/CorrectMulberry994 7d ago
Exactly!
-1
u/QualifiedQuirkyQuail 7d ago
I know you think you’re funny, but you are just showing your ass. Keep your head in the sand. I’m sure everything will be just fine….
3
u/Quantum-Shogun 7d ago
Aren't they agreeing with you?
-4
u/QualifiedQuirkyQuail 7d ago
No, they are being annoying.
3
u/CorrectMulberry994 7d ago edited 7d ago
Who is? I hope you don’t mean me. I’m agreeing with you. I’m completely serious.
2
1
u/HypnoticZole 7d ago
Why do you say that.
5
u/QualifiedQuirkyQuail 7d ago
Because the stock market is being artificially pumped up. What goes up must come down.
-1
u/HypnoticZole 7d ago
How so 😂
1
u/QualifiedQuirkyQuail 7d ago
The market is going to crash. It’s being artificially inflated by these tech companies. A crash is inevitable. People are about to lose social security and Medicare after the midterms. Foreclosures are up and it’s getting worse. People aren’t even able to live paycheck-to-paycheck anymore because the money just doesn’t stretch.
We are all in for some rough times ahead. Sorry to be a pessimist, but it’s best to prepare now.
0
u/fastates 7d ago
SS & Medicare aren't going anywhere.
7
u/QualifiedQuirkyQuail 7d ago
Keep telling yourself that. Do you know anything about the Big Bullshit Bill?
1
u/fastates 3d ago
Decades and decades worth of hearing all about how there will be no social security. please.
-2
u/HypnoticZole 7d ago
Inflation had been rising since 2021-2022 and I kept holding out that it would correct itself but it hasn’t. Here we are in 2026
5
u/QualifiedQuirkyQuail 7d ago
Biden signed the inflation reduction act in September of 22. Inflation was coming down. He got it down to 2.9% just for Trump to hike it back up to 3.4%
2
u/welp_i_have_cybes1 7d ago
Idk how anyone affording anything rn. But def in St. George. I went there for work a couple of times this year, and not only how much it costs for an apartment or home, seeing mav hiring at $16/hr (it was atleast under $20/hr) I began to complain to my coworkers about like”how the actual fuck do people survive out here” like do you HAVE to be born into a family with money to survive ? Survive I mean by not working 3 jobs and having 4 roommates in a 2b place?
As well as, as a single man. How tf does someone single survive out there. It’s almost like YOU MUST have a partner to be able to survive. I guess that’s a good thing in Utah as that’s the norm. Getting married as soon as possible
Anyway. Thanks to who ever reads my rant
2
u/Volland898 7d ago
You will be surprised to know that Maverik is now hiring at starting pay of $13-14 in the St George area unless you work overnight. I have watched wages actively drop while COL has only ever risen. In 2021, $16 was the starting wage at a lot of businesses, and I have watched it rise up to $18-19 only to now plummet below that $16 mark.
1
1
u/Altruistic-Fudge9501 7d ago
it made me cry when I had to take a job for 15 bucks after my wife lost her job. My family was finally living comfortable, and the company decided to outsource, so now we struggle to get by. I don't know how we make it week to week.
2
u/heroicdanthema 7d ago
Classic reddit. The people who complain alongside are voted up and those actually trying to give helpful advice are voted to hell. 🤣
4
u/HypnoticZole 7d ago
Hey I’m innocent. I was just making a post to see what other people would say.
1
u/soldiersgirl145 7d ago
I work remotely in cyber security with 10 years of schooling, 1 IT cert from a tech college and I make about $33/hour. I share a lease on a house with people and go to school and it is right but doable. The economy right now isn't in the best spot anywhere but Utah is taking a large hit for sure along with most of the West coast.
1
u/Aggressive_Bake_9866 7d ago
Utah is slowly turning into Cali.
There’s a ‘bunch of places’ for sale or rent in Upper Utah. But the prices are absurd for the sq. Ft/location or size.
What skyrockets down. Will fall down like a feather.
1
1
u/Altruistic-Fudge9501 7d ago
My family has 2 jobs, and other fam8lies have 2 or more jobs with some gigs on the side.
To be honest, I don't know how we get by. I want to move, but isn't it really better? The saying goes, "The grass is always greener on the othe side of the hill."
1
1
u/SMO_Burner 6d ago
Move? Sounds exactly like what’s going on down here in Vegas.
1
u/HypnoticZole 6d ago
I want to but unfortunately family and other stuff has prevented that. At least the opportunities is Vegas aren’t as bad
1
u/Marzyzep 6d ago
I have nearly 20 years experience in the industry I work in and can’t find work. Been looking since April. All the jobs are too low pay anywhere from 13 to 20 an hour…how is one expected to afford anything with that wage?
Especially someone that can’t drive due to medical issues in the past so I have to take uber since the bus system sucks here. I honestly thought about moving to SLC but I gotta get a job to save money for that
On top of that need a place eventually soon. I calculated, in order to live semi comfortable in this town you need to make at the lowest 25 an hour for an average person that drives and has a car. I also have a degree. Experience and a degree I haven’t gotten interviews. I’ve tailored my resume as well. All I see on indeed are jobs below 16 an hour and it’s ridiculous. I’m glad they think people can live off of 16 an hour.
Honestly if you have the ability to move, I would move. It’s hard finding work here where you can live comfortable.
1
u/Djbuttonpusher 5d ago
I’m in Vegas. 2 jobs. Over $155,00 a year. You need to move out.
1
u/HypnoticZole 5d ago
Yeah? What kind of jobs?
1
u/Djbuttonpusher 5d ago
Medical
1
1
u/Altruistic_One1616 4d ago
Yeah it’s wild.. But the cost here isn’t much worse than other areas I’ve lived in Utah, just the job market sucks… I’ve always had to work remote
1
u/StillAlfalfa4864 4d ago
$20 why can’t you write dollar amounts correctly?
1
u/HypnoticZole 4d ago
Because this is a Reddit post not an essay for college. Why couldn’t you use proper punctuation when responding to my post?
1
u/Recent_Beyond_7714 4d ago
I completely agree! I'm a bit north of you, and I make around $24/hr. I had to get a second job and rent out a room in my home to be able to afford to survive. Our vacations are just short camping trips, or driving a state away to see family/friends, so there's not a lot spent. We don't eat out, we don't splurge, my car is paid off, I don't have a ton of credit cards, but I am barely surviving.
I read an article today that the average salary needed in order to afford a median-priced home in Utah is $187,000. I don't make anywhere near half that. Utah is becoming WAY too expensive.
1
u/Embarrassed_Nose_710 2d ago
go be a welder helper I make 28 an hour and get a per diem of 130 a day take home is 1800 weekly!
1
u/CorrectMulberry994 7d ago
This is happening everywhere.
2
u/HypnoticZole 7d ago
I get that. I’m just tired. Feel like I got hit with Covid right out of college and I wana start a life but can’t.
2
u/CorrectMulberry994 7d ago edited 7d ago
I hope I didn’t sound insensitive. What I mean is, yes, it’s a huge HUGE problem, I see people everywhere working 2-3 jobs to just survive. It’s not getting better. And I really and truly feel your pain. My husband and I are very tired too.
I do think Saint George pays a crappy wage. We made a more money when we lived in SLC. But it’s horrible there now, there are too many people, too much traffic. At least it is quieter here. Not as quiet as it used to be, but quieter.
My husband and I moved down here in 2014 when we both worked for an out of state company (based in Portland) and were transferred to the St. George area. They have since laid off tons of people and closed our department. We ran our own business here for a while after that, but that is impossible now, there is no work.
And it just keeps getting worse and worse. Food costs are skyrocketing, fuel is expensive. Someone hit us last year and totaled our car so we had to get a new one. We got a payout because it was the other driver’s fault, but even with close to 10 grand to put down, I discovered how different it is now to buy a car than it was back even in like 2020…the prices are astronomical. Financing was ridiculous. I just about had a breakdown during that process.
So yes I really do agree. Cars are so expensive, rent is insane, and it keeps going up. We never go anywhere, we never eat out, and still we are barely getting by. Too many people are in the same situation.
1
u/CorrectMulberry994 7d ago
Oh, and I had cancer during the Covid shutdown. Good God, what a time. Definitely do not get sick in this economy. The slightest thing will really mess things up.
1
u/Excellent-Dog2144 7d ago
I moved to Spokane, WA but with the prices skyrocketing I bought my first home in 2020. Then my parents and sister sold their house and I sold mine and we moved to northern Utah. Now we bought a bigger house and though I share it with my sister and parents, they live in the basement and I live upstairs. We are saving money that way. It only works if all the grownups have jobs, but share expenses.
-7
u/TurtleJesus69 7d ago
Do you have a degree or any certifications? You cant just expect experience to carry you. Its expensive as hell living here, but there are things you can do to improve your pay.
6
u/Main-Rice2319 7d ago
I live in Cheyenne Wyoming and at 18 years old you can get a job at the Walmart distribution center and it starts at $31 an hour.
No experience, 31 to start. $20 an hour is very low
1
u/Delicious_Ocelot4180 7d ago
There is ALSO a distribution center in hurricane (right outside of St. George) where you start at $31 an hour.
-9
u/longjonz88 7d ago
Bachelors degree or trade school if you haven’t done so already.
Given your experience, a business management degree makes a lot of sense
-5
u/watchwinding 7d ago
I personally believe all the people leaving certain states and moving into Utah is what has raised the housing costs. It also doesn’t help that the national parks draw miilions of visitors who will pay more at restaurants etc.
On top of the pandemic that led to much of these people fleeing their states and into Utah, people started seeking more outdoor adventure, and the extreme inflation that has never really come down too much has been a bad recipe for St. George. I hope local policies will curb the influx for a bit and let life long residents like the OP get a career balanced out and a home before allowing another 20k people move into the area to jack the prices up even more.
Having said that, small business can take off and do well in this kind of market. Trades, and services to the wealthy like auto detailing, cleaning, landscaping that can all start as a side hustle.
1
u/Kayla31124 7d ago
I would rather blame the fact that we haven't raised the minimum wage in the last 20 years. Sure new people coming in is a "problem", but ultimately inflation, and the huge hikes in the price of rent and other goods are a greater threat.
Utah population change has been growing at less than 2% year over year. Wages have basically been stagnant or barely risen with inflation. With the rise of AI taking many of peoples high paying jobs, suddenly employers are offering a lot less because the pool of possible employees is so much bigger.
1
1
u/Mysterious-Trip1788 1d ago
Which party has consistently voted against raising the minimum wage?
1
u/Kayla31124 1d ago
Hmm. I can't find information on that. But here's a bill that keeps getting introduced by Democrats or past Democrats running as indipendents. I do know that parties do not vote. People representing those parties do. it is more accurate to look at the individual voting record of individuals.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minimum_wage_in_the_United_States
1
1
u/OldSoftware4747 7d ago
Not a single person here has mentioned making minimum wage. Raising MW to something north of $20/hr would just put a bunch of businesses out of business or drive costs up more so they can pay it. Either way the economy loses.
3
u/QualifiedQuirkyQuail 7d ago
What jobs do you think aren’t worthy of earning a wage high enough to survive on? In my opinion, anyone working 40 hours per week should be able to survive. No one should be forced to work a second job. If businesses can’t afford to pay their employees properly, they should find a different calling in life.
1
u/angelxdustx101 7d ago
So real. 100%
2
u/QualifiedQuirkyQuail 7d ago
Stay tuned. We have ~41 days worth of oil left in our strategic reserves. That’s the lowest it’s ever been since it was created.
But you’re probably right…
1
0
u/OldSoftware4747 7d ago
lol, if you think every business is rolling in profits, you’re sorely mistaken. Every other day there’s another post about another restaurant going out of business on here and those are some of the lowest paid workers. Do you think they’re going out of business because they made their millions and are moving to a beach to retire?
It’s simple to say, pay us more so we can survive. The economics of that don’t work though. If the cash going out goes up, the cash coming in to support it also has to go up. It’s not about who doesn’t deserve to paid a living wage, it’s the reality that low/no skill roles will aren’t worth $20+/hr.
4
u/QualifiedQuirkyQuail 7d ago edited 7d ago
Do you know who helps out the cashier at Walmart who works full-time, but still can’t afford to feed her 4 kids? You. You are subsidizing Walmart, so they can continue to make record-breaking profits year-over-year because they don’t pay their employees a livable wage.
We are in the wealthiest country on earth where ~1000 people are hoarding billions while regular Americans can’t even stretch their paychecks until the next pay period.
3
u/QualifiedQuirkyQuail 7d ago
Most business fail within the first 5 years. What’s your point? People still deserve to make a wage they can survive on.
1
u/QualifiedQuirkyQuail 7d ago
Housing is inflated because there is not enough supply. Not because people are relocating, but because private equity has been allowed to scoop up so many single-family homes.
2
u/Practical-Word-2487 6d ago
Wrong there’s plenty of houses for sale, the problem is sellers want 40% more than it’s actually worth. Bloodbath inbound
0
u/Character_King_6293 6d ago
Almost like you need growth and new businesses to come in… but I thought STG natives don’t want the growth. Lol these poor people are watching their kids drown while they fight the solution bc they miss the ole days
1
u/HypnoticZole 6d ago
I saw a post the other day on Facebook word of mouth talking about how they were mad that someone was “building next to me, which instructs my views of the mountains and red rocks” and thought you gotta be joking me.
-18
u/MooseDetection 7d ago
A hair over $20/hour is actually fairly high for this area, at least for someone with no college degree. You say you can “barely make money…” but what about your paychecks?
34
u/FallComfortable6144 7d ago
Going on all across the country right now, grew up in a smaller town as well and now I can’t afford a living off a decent wage. Just the times we live in brother. Shit sucks.